News / Bristol Beacon
Bristol Beacon CEO to step down just months after venue reopens
The chief executive of Bristol Beacon will stand down in July after 12 years in charge of the organisation including leading the venue through its controversial £132m refurbishment.
Louise Mitchell said that it has been “a highlight” of her career working at the venue formerly known as the Colston Hall.
The announcement of Mitchell’s departure comes as broadcaster, writer and historian Jonathan Dimbleby, who lives in Hotwells, has been named as the new chair of the Beacon’s board. He is replacing current chair Simon Chapman, who is also standing down.
is needed now More than ever
Simon Chapman (left) is being replaced as chair of the Bristol Beacon board by Jonathan Dimbleby – photo: Jon Craig
“It’s been a highlight of my career leading and working with the team at Bristol Music Trust,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve been faced with some incredible hurdles and challenges along the way, but we have also grown an amazing organisation and created hugely impactful artistic, education and outreach programmes that are nationally recognised.
“We now start the next chapter of our building’s 155-year history with a glorious new building that ensures our position as one of the best and most accessible venues anywhere in Europe.
“My successor can come in and lead on the exciting next phase with the brilliant team here.
“I’m also incredibly thankful to the board and in particular our chair, Simon, for his unfailing support and calm, level-headed guidance over the past few years.
“He will be deeply missed, but we are thrilled that Jonathan Dimbleby has agreed to take on the role as new chair.
“His experience and ideas will be of enormous benefit as we focus on our future.”
Classical music made a triumphant return to Bristol Beacon thanks to the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in December – photo: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Dimbleby said: “As a citizen of Bristol, it is a great privilege to be asked to chair Bristol Music Trust.
“I am fortunate to inherit the role at a point where – thanks in large measure to the outstanding leadership of Simon and Louise – the Beacon can now become a great cultural hub in the heart of this great city.
“At the start of this new era, I hope that everyone in Bristol will come to regard the Beacon as their musical home, a place that is open to all and at the service of all.
“With a wonderful new concert hall and a range of facilities that rival any in Britain – or indeed Europe – our task is to ensure that we offer a feast of musical delights for all ages, all cultures, and all tastes.
“I want the new Beacon to shine a light across the city and far beyond.
“I know that it can and that it will, which is why I am honoured to play my part in helping to meet this challenge.”
Main photo: Bristol Beacon
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